Forces within the government have repeatedly thwarted attempts by members of Congress to learn basic information about the National Security Agency and the secret court that authorizes its activities, documents provided by two House members show.

A look at the day’s political happenings, including a Koch brother campaigns to get rid of the minimum wage and the Texas woman who was silenced by state lawmakers while testifying against a restrictive abortion bill gets “the last word.”

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd announced Wednesday that he won’t seek re-election this November, making him the third high-profile Democrat to talk retirement in just one 24-hour news cycle. Despite Democrats’ worries about the 2010 elections, Dodd’s potential replacement from his party may have a fighting chance to score his Senate seat.